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Published on: August 30, 2018
Advances in bioresponsive closed-loop drug delivery systems
Jicheng Yu1, Yuqi Zhang1, Junjie Yan2
1Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA; Center for Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery and Division of Molecular Pharmaceutics, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
Abstract:
Controlled drug delivery systems are able to improve efficacy and safety of therapeutics by optimizing the duration and kinetics of release. Among them, closed-loop delivery strategies, also known as self-regulated administration, have proven to be a practical tool for homeostatic regulation, by tuning drug release as a function of biosignals relevant to physiological and pathological processes. A typical example is glucose-responsive insulin delivery system, which can mimic the pancreatic beta cells to release insulin with a proper dose at a proper time point by responding to plasma glucose levels. Similar self-regulated systems are also important in the treatment of other diseases including thrombosis and bacterial infection. In this review, we survey the recent advances in bioresponsive closed-loop drug delivery systems, including glucose-responsive, enzyme-activated, and other biosignal-mediated delivery systems. We also discuss the future opportunities and challenges in this field.
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